


Day Nine: Fascination

by sparrowhaven



Series: Final Fantasy 14 Writing Challenge March 2021 [9]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: 31 Days Writing Challenge, Amaurot (Final Fantasy XIV), Gen, Shenanigans, Spoilers for aspects of Shadowbringers, Twin Azem AU, made of headcanon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:54:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29955747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparrowhaven/pseuds/sparrowhaven
Summary: “We really need to have a talk with our mutual friend about his obsession.”Enough is enough and Hythlodaeus is enlisted to get Emet-Selch to just. Stop.Talkingabout a very specific topic.
Relationships: Azem & Emet-Selch & Hythlodaeus (Final Fantasy XIV), Azem & Hythlodaeus (Final Fantasy XIV)
Series: Final Fantasy 14 Writing Challenge March 2021 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190222
Kudos: 3





	Day Nine: Fascination

Artemis put her hands flat against each other and pointed them towards Hythlodaeus. “We really need to have a talk with our mutual friend about his obsession.”

He didn’t even bother looking up from the abstracted concept that he held between his hands–a leftover from his work at the Bureau of the Architect, no doubt. Ever since Hades took up the seat of Emet-Selch and the twins had secretly started sharing the role of Azem, Hythlodaeus had been optimizing his time spent with his friends by also working on more complicated projects around them. Talking with any of the three of them helped him relax, he claimed, and his slouched seating position of the comfortable chair he sat in added support to that claim. “I’ll tell you what I told your twin when he came to me about the Emassary’s idolization of you two and the rest of the Convocation: it’s just a phase. Once he grows a little more he’ll be tall enough that the pedestal he put you on won’t be nearly that high anymore. And _then_ you’ll come back to me complaining about how you missed it when he was a scamp.”

She let the silence sit for several seconds while she tried to figure out if Hythlodaeus was messing with her. Then Artemis realized that the answer was always yes and she went over to smack him lightly on the arm. “Very funny. You know exactly who I’m talking about.”

“Do I? _You_ were the one that decided to go with the phrase ‘mutual friend’ instead of something more accurate.” His tone was neutral, but the slowly growing grin on his face gave him away. “You could be talking about any number of people we both so happen to know.” 

“I should drag you to the Convocation and demand that they put you in charge of the Halls of Rhetoric. Your stupid arguments are wasted here in the Bureau of the Architect.”

“And completely ruin your game of sharing the role of Azem? That’s quite the sacrifice you’re willing to make for me, I’m honored.”

“Stop making remarks like that when I can’t properly thump you.”

“The concept is my insurance against such a thumping. It reacts with quite a lot of volatility when jostled.” 

“Drat.” Artemis snapped her fingers as lazily as she could. Then she put a hand on her hip and gave Hythlodaeus’ shoulder a poke. “Going back to the start of this ridiculously tangential conversation: Hades is getting too invested in the goings-on of the musician Orpheus.”

 _Now_ he paused in his examination and turned his white mask towards her own. He tilted his head quizzically. “The one that’s the subject of all of that gossip, yes?”

“The very same musician that gossip keeps talking about _and_ also the provider of a full 30% of the music played on the city’s public stations. I should know, because Hades _won’t stop_ talking about details like that.” She let her annoyance be known by slouching further against the chair that Hythlodaeus was sitting in. Despite his hints that the concept he was looking at was unstable, he still took a moment to pat at the top of Artemis’ head sympathetically. 

“That _is_ quite a lot of his music being played to the public. Hades is right to be impressed, although I’m sure he would describe himself as being fascinated with the musician. _Obsession_ seems to be a little too harsh a descriptor.”

“But what else describes how Hades brings him up _all the time_?” She whined. “It’d be one thing if it was just him playing the music, but at every opportunity it’s ‘Azem, have you heard Orpheus’ newest song? It’s clearly about his latest breakup with Eurydice’ or ‘Orpheus is collaborating with this other artist and I want to know your opinion about them’ or ‘I hope that the trend of fixing one’s broken mask with gold isn’t going to catch on just because Orpheus did it first’ or–”

“That’s more than enough evidence as to why you called it an obsession,” Hythlodaeus interrupted.

“So now you know it’s the most accurate word for the situation. Even _Apollo’s_ everlasting patience is wearing thin, though you and I are both well aware that he wouldn’t dare say anything about it.” She took a couple of steps away from the chair and turned, putting her palms flat against each other again. This time she kept her thumbs against her chest as she looked at him. With the most pleading expression she could reasonably give while wearing her mask, Artemis begged, “Please help me get him out of this obsession so that we can talk to him about literally anything else.”

He turned the concept in his hands over twice more before stowing it away and declaring magnanimously, “Well I suppose since it will give peace of mind to the two of you, I’ll take the blame and his ire.” Artemis was just about to go to her knees and thank him profusely when he held a hand up to stop her. “However, there’s one thing you must promise me should I not return.”

“Anything, Hythlodaeus,” She responded automatically. It was a running joke between him and the twins that anyone going to see their dear friend alone was liable to not come back. As such, they often made “final requests” of each other in case of such an eventuality. 

“Secure spots in the audience for one of Orpheus’ concerts so we can all see for ourselves just how good he is at music.” 

Artemis flinched. “That’s supposed to be a final request! You can’t just rig it so that you’d get to go regardless of whether or not you live!”

“It would be a posthumous seat.” 

She groaned and ran a hand down her mask and down the side of her face. “I’ll _think_ about it.” Her tone spoke of giving into the request even if her words didn’t match. 

Hythlodaeus grinned and took a bow. “You have my deepest thanks, Azem.”

“Apollo is Azem today.” Artemis huffed. He laughed as he started to leave. “And you need to tell me how it was you hadn’t noticed before now!”

He turned around and gave an exaggerated shrug. “I’ve been busy! Some of us have duties that aren’t being shared by a sibling, you know.”

“You just weren’t paying attention, were you?”

Instead of answering, Hythlodaeus exited.

Soon after, the four friends were able to see Orpheus in concert for the first and last time together.

**Author's Note:**

> Orpheus is an original Amaurotine character that Dovahcat made to add some flavor to the world. She drew a picture of both him and Artemis and Apollo that I'm [linking here](https://thesilverdragoon.tumblr.com/post/636172426505551872/orpheus-and-twin-wols-apollo-and-artemis) for anyone interested to see.


End file.
